Eclipsed

An extortionist's illusion,
Bids us to continue,
Beckons us forward,
Leads us on.

Blindly we share in their triumphs.
Serenely we cherish their lies.
And onward we tread,
Eclipsed in their shadow.

Whining for their approval,
We think that we be become strong.
But lost in the dream,
We are weaker then ever before.

When we are with them,
There is no fear.
But without them,
We tremble and long for their presence.

Freedom is not far from us,
Nor is it hard to reach.
But we do not want our freedom.
We only want,
To hear those words they'd always say,
"Well done, my darling, well done."

-Lauren Hatch